saga

saga a long story of heroic achievement, especially a medieval prose narrative in Old Norse or Old Icelandic, embodying the traditional histories of the Norse families who first settled Iceland or of the kings of Norway. The word is recorded in English from the early 18th century, and comes from Old Norse, literally ‘narrative’.

From the mid 19th century, the use of the term has widened to cover stories regarded as resembling traditional sagas, in particular (as with Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga) dealing with the history of a family through several generations. Saga may also be used loosely for a long, involved story, account, or series of incidents.

Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

Saga (city, Japan)

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

Copyright The Columbia University Press

Saga (sä´gä), city (1990 pop. 169,963), capital of Saga prefecture, W Kyushu, Japan. It is a railroad and coal-distribution center. Cotton textiles and ceramics are produced in the city. A castle town in feudal times, Saga was the center of a rebellion in 1874. Saga prefecture (1990 pop. 877,865), 946 sq mi (2,450 sq km), is known for its advanced techniques in growing rice and oranges, as well as for its dairy farming and cattle raising.

Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

saga (in Old Norse Literature)

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.

Copyright The Columbia University Press

saga, in Old Norse literature, especially Icelandic and Norwegian, narrative in prose or verse, centering on a legendary or historical figure or family. Sagas may be divided into sagas of the kings, mainly of early Norwegian rulers; Icelandic sagas, both biographical and historical; contemporary sagas, which were also Icelandic and were written about living persons; legendary sagas of the distant past; and sagas that were translations of foreign romances. Sagas were composed from about the early 11th to the mid-14th cent. and were first written down c.1200. Scholars disagree as to the extent to which written versions borrowed from earlier oral compositions. The sagas vary greatly in length. The greatest attention has been given to the history sagas (e.g., Sturlungasaga), the family sagas (e.g., Njála, tr. by G. W. Dasent, 1861; M. Magnusson and P. Palsson, 1960), and the mythical heroic sagas (e.g., Völsungasaga, tr. by William Morris, 1870). In all these the epic element is strong, and the milieu of a heroic society is made vivid. Historical accuracy was often a major aim of the saga, although reworking, interjection of the supernatural, and other changes caused distortion. The historical approach is felt in the careful selection of events and the great emphasis on cause and effect. Among other noted sagas are the Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson (tr. by L. Hollander, 1964); the Laxdœla, translated in Earthly Paradise by William Morris; the Grettla, translated by the same author; the Frithjof, translated by Esaias Tegnér; and Gisli, translated by R. B. Allen.

See The Sagas of the Icelanders (2000) for a selection of the sagas. See also S. Einarsson, A History of Icelandic Literature (1957); P. Hallberg, The Icelandic Saga (tr. 1962); L. Lönnroth, Njáls Saga (1976); C. Clover, The Medieval Saga (1982); P. Schach, Icelandic Sagas (1984).

Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

saga

saga In old Norse literature (especially Icelandic), prose narrative that relates the lives of historical figures. The sagas were written between the 7th and 14th centuries. Notable examples include the Gísla saga, the Njáls saga, and the Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241).

Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

saga

sa·ga
/ ˈsägə/
•
n.
a long story of heroic achievement, esp. a medieval prose narrative in Old Norse or Old Icelandic. ∎
a long, involved story, account, or series of incidents:
the saga of her engagement.

Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.